Zelato Harbor

Half a month later, Green and his group finally arrived at the famous Zelato Harbor.

Now, Green's group had gained another Wizard Apprentice, named Binhanson. He had been selected by Wizard Arowoz from among thousands of people in the previous two cities as someone with the aptitude to become a Wizard Apprentice.

However, this fellow turned out to be a chatterbox, and unfortunately, he had latched onto Green.

The reason was simple.

When Tambrosen City held its Wizard Apprentice aptitude test, this fellow had been publicly identified by Wizard Arowoz as having Wizard Apprentice aptitude. He immediately caused an uproar, shouting with joy and completely ruining the originally quiet, solemn atmosphere. He had not even heard the wizard telling him to be quiet.

Left with no choice, Green, who had been standing closest to him, stopped his excited antics and told him to stand beside him.

But that single action had nearly cost Green his life over the past few days. Green even suspected that he might die from ruptured eardrums.

"Shh, I'll tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone. Shirley actually has a birthmark on her butt. I saw it with my own eyes when I watched her bathe from her rooftop that time, haha. I've only told John and Aaron this secret... you're the twenty-seventh person. Don't tell anyone else."

Binhanson's voice tormented Green from beside him.

Ever since Binhanson had joined the group seven days ago, Green had heard no fewer than a hundred secrets like that. And he said them so loudly that practically the entire group could hear him. Green truly did not know what secrets Binhanson still had worth keeping.

Moreover, Green did not know any of the people involved in his secrets, so naturally, he had no interest whatsoever.

Green casually asked, "And who is Shirley?"

Binhanson looked utterly shocked. "You don't know who Shirley is? Shirley is Badara's little lover, the one I told you about the day before yesterday!"

Green was speechless. In truth, he also wanted to ask who exactly Badara was.

But in the end, Green did not dare ask. He pretended to understand completely and nodded in sudden realization.

Green reckoned that if he asked anything else today, something bad would happen to him. His head had been buzzing nonstop, leaving him dazed.

Zelato Harbor was one of East Mountain Lake Island's four major ports. It was immensely prosperous, with an endless stream of people coming and going. Hundreds of ships were docked in the harbor, including quite a few ocean-going vessels over a hundred meters long.

"Wow, so this is Zelato Harbor? It's my first time here."

Lafi spoke in delight.

The half-month journey had temporarily made Lafi forget her unhappiness about heading to the Wizard Continent. As she gazed at the countless ships on the sea, she seemed somewhat delighted.

Lafi was exceptionally slender and tall, standing around one meter seventy-five, about the same height as Green.

At that moment, Lafi closed her eyes and spread her arms toward the sea. A sash tied around her waist accentuated her graceful, alluring figure, leaving several boys present staring blankly for a moment. Green even heard Wade swallow up ahead.

Even Green's own heart thumped twice against his will.

Just then, a sudden voice shattered the peaceful beauty of the moment, and Green, Wade, and Kiram could not help cursing inwardly.

"Ah... Lafi, I've finally realized that you are the goddess of love I've been waiting for all this time. You are the guiding light of my life, the final destination of my destiny. Your beauty has left me unable to free myself. I am willing to protect you for all eternity, willing to die for you. Ah... please save me from this sea of suffering."

Everyone looked over to see Binhanson gazing at Lafi with deep affection.

That embarrassing display was beyond words...

Green could not help smacking his forehead. Had this guy gone mad?

Who was Lafi? How dared he provoke her!?

The others also wore expressions of anticipation, waiting to see the show. Only Yorklianna, the shy little girl, covered her mouth and stared at the scene in astonishment, seemingly finding this legendary "public confession" unbelievable.

Sure enough, Lafi turned around. After briefly showing surprise, her face darkened as she looked at Binhanson.

Those secrets Binhanson had told Green over the past few days...

"Heh heh, heh heh heh... Save you? Fine!"

Lafi muttered something under her breath and pointed at the enraptured, affectionate Binhanson. A vine immediately sprouted beneath Binhanson's feet, wrapping around him seven or eight times and binding him into a ball, completely restraining him.

"Wizardry!"

Several Wizard Apprentices cried out in shock, unable to believe that Lafi could actually cast wizardry.

"Mmff..."

Binhanson, bound by the vines, wanted to say something too, but the vines had plugged his mouth, reducing his words to muffled noises.

Quite a few people in the harbor saw a vine suddenly appear and bind someone, and they gathered around in surprise, pointing and discussing it.

Lafi secretly felt pleased with herself.

She had two magical wizard artifacts in total, both obtained by her father at enormous cost. The spell she had just used had been unleashed by channeling her magic power through one of her magical earrings.

Green and the others had never encountered any magical wizard artifacts before, and they did not even possess the most basic common knowledge about wizards. Lafi's sudden display of magic truly gave them a fright.

Through reading Meditation Guide, Green knew that the most basic requirement for casting any magical spell was possessing magic power, and the amount of magic power depended on the strength of one's mental power.

Green had been trying to meditate and condense magic power these past few days, but he had never succeeded. He had not expected Lafi to already be capable of casting magical spells.

But on second thought, it made sense. Lafi was no commoner. Under her family's arrangements, she must have encountered some wizard knowledge long ago. Otherwise, she could not have thrown out that copy of Nose-Hunting Modification and Scent Atlas back then.

A moment later, Lafi withdrew her wizardry, and the vine vanished.

Everyone continued following Arowoz on their journey. At that moment, a group of thirteen knights came rushing over and took the initiative to greet Wizard Arowoz.

"Welcome back to Zelato Harbor, Wizard. His Grace has already prepared a banquet."

The lead knight sat atop his warhorse and spoke respectfully to Arowoz.

"Mm."

Arowoz replied casually, then led the seven Wizard Apprentices away with the knights. The discussions of the harbor's commoners and merchants meant nothing to them.

The banquet was exceptionally grand, but for the group, unless they were traveling, every city they visited held lavish feasts for them. They had already begun to adapt to it. Even Green had learned some noble etiquette and comfortably socialized with the other guests attending the banquet.

This duke was clearly different from the marquises of the previous cities. His status was higher, and he seemed to be acquainted with Arowoz.

Rare beef, cooked only thirty percent through, had been sliced thin, with droplets of blood still clinging to it. The duke casually dipped a slice into caviar and mustard before placing it in his mouth, savoring it carefully.

Arowoz beside him seemed to have little appetite. Holding an exquisite metal spoon, he casually stirred the soup in his vessel, causing several colorful mushrooms to roll to the surface.

"What is it? Something troubling you?"

The duke noticed Arowoz's unusual behavior and teased him.

Shaking his head, Arowoz sighed. "Things over there are getting more chaotic by the day. There are often rumors of wizards disappearing. Perhaps you were right back then. No matter how chaotic it gets there, it won't spread here."

The duke gave a disdainful laugh. "How can you compare me to yourself? I hid here to enjoy peace and leisure only because I had no hope of advancing. You still have plenty of hope of reaching a higher level."

After speaking, the duke put another slice of beef into his mouth.

"Looking at how excited these little ones are reminds me of my younger self. I wonder how many of them will still persevere on the wizard's path decades from now. If one of them is lucky enough to advance to become a wizard a century from now, I wonder whether they'll return for a look."

Arowoz glanced at the seven Wizard Apprentices, who were eating while socializing with the local young nobles, then shook his head.

"What is there to see on East Coral Island? By the way, which wizard is coming to take these little ones away this time?"

"Dila."

The duke answered casually.

"That fellow? Mm, these little ones should have an easier time over the next two months. After all, Lilith's Cottage offers fairly decent benefits to Wizard Apprentices among the wizard academies. It isn't like the Dark Wizard Academy, where competition is so fierce."

As soon as he finished speaking, Arowoz continued, "I plan to visit the Underground World. I heard the wizards there discovered a new world rift..."

After the banquet, Green was led by a servant from the duke's estate to a quiet manor.

It was not only Green. All seven Wizard Apprentices received the same treatment, since they had to wait in the harbor for a full seven days.

Seven days later, a dedicated ocean liner from Lilith's Cottage Wizard Academy would take everyone away.

Green opened the window, and a sea breeze carrying a faint fishy smell blew into his face. The sea lay only three hundred meters from the manor, while directly below the window was a steep stone cliff, perhaps seventy or eighty meters high.

"Ah, the Wizard Continent..."

Green sighed. The more information he learned from Lafi about the Wizard Continent, the more nervous he became. Lafi had practically described it as a terrifying slaughterhouse where wizards ran rampant. No wonder she had been so unwilling to go there.

Shaking his head, Green closed the window against the cold, damp night breeze.

He walked over to the desk in the room and lit all the exquisite candles. Then Green took out Meditation Guide and began studying it once more.

Over these past days, Green had gained some clues about how to transform mental power into a corresponding amount of magic power. Perhaps he should take advantage of these seven peaceful days to study it properly.